The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-13
BET HIS LIFE ON THE GAME.
A Giant Poker Player Who Lost and
% Became Practical Slave.
From, the Ne,o York World.


Became a Practical Slave.
From the Neto York World.
FoRT SMITH, ARK, Dec. 5.-The pres
ence in this city the other day of an enor-
NOUS negro named Jim Zeigler recalled as
interesting a game of poker as was ever
played in this country. Jim is perhaps the
biggest man in the Indian Territory, being
six feet eight inches tall and weighing 2S4
pounds. Well proportional, perfectly
erect, strong as an OK, this dusky Hercules
has for the past ten years commanded both
respect and admiration from half the Choc-
taw nation. Over near Kully Chaha, where
he lives alone in a poverty stricken old
dug-out, his half-breed, Indian and desper-
ado neighbors call him Hauta- Kalauasa
(the Black Giant, and he is treated with a
Difference consequent upon so meritorious
title, Nobody knows where he came from,
nobody knows anything of his past life, but
of one thing all are certain-he is a man to
avoid at all times. Gossip has it that Mt
one time he killed with his fist three deputy
United States Marshals who had attempted
to arrest him for illegal liquor selling,
while another time he is said to have run
240 miles across il to the Arapahoe country
TO escape an armed posse of United States
officials. Be this as it may, Jim is to-day
untrammelled with governmental letters,
and struts the Indian country with as much
freedom as the big chief of the Council.
Jim's poker playing proves is common
surate with his size. He used to sit for whole
days beside the rough Indian "saw-log"
without change of countenance, without
a sound save an occasional grunt OF disap-
pointment or approval without a thought
as to food, time or results. He played with
an earnest determination and grim reckless
ness that usually won and always excited a
suspicion among the Indians that the Black
l. ~. G. i =.
suspicion taken root that no Indian would
play with him alone. The presence of
white men seemed to remove their fear, and
when the Ethiopian lost under such cir
c,lmstances it was due alone to the presence
OF a Caucasian rival His persistent
winning has won for him besides a
long String" eight deep scars. One
with grotesque ugliness against his black
skin, extends from his right temple to the
corner of his mouth This was presented
to him by an unsuccessful Cherokee Indian
about three years ago. Another cash, re-
ceived at the hands Of an Infatuated white
woman in Tahlequah, sliced off half his
left ear. This combination of scars gives
him a Economical appearance which, added
to his tremendous stature, causes the aver
age Indian small boy to hide behind his
mothers apron or scamper off in the wild
est terror. 1t will be readily seen that
Zeigler is neither the beauty nor the pet of
his community.
One evening about fourteen months ago
four Indians, one white man named Bud
Tucker and Jim himself met around the
saw-log at Jim's camp TO 'go their luck"
The game, as usual was hula ko- buskof-
poker After the oklahoma" whisky jug
had been passed around the conventional
number of times loungers dropped in to wit
ness the game. Candles were stuck opposite
each man and the game started. Honors
were evenly divided toward the first hour,
the Indians having a slight advantage.
Then by degrees luck turned Jim's way.
Toward midnight his success continued, to
the evident chagrin of the Indians, who be-
gan to mutter disappOintedly as their
strings vanished. Bud Tucker, however,
played more earnestly than ever. He
never lost hope, but now ana then eyed his
brawny competitor with a hatred SO
keen that the giant drew his next hand with
undiSguised nervousness, Sowing erstwhile
so savagely that the Indians became more
and more nervous, and finally dropped out
shout o'clock leaving the giant and Bud
facing each other to PLAY to a finish. As
the first streaks of daylight pushed their
way between the cracks in the side of the
dugout, the scene inside became one of ter
ribie earnestneSs. The two competitors
We're beginning to show signs of their long
confinement. The spectators gazed on with
feverish interest, now and then uttering
guttaral explanations of surprise at some
exciting point in the game. The candles
burned low, leaving long streaks of tallow
across the board while card after card was
played between hands trembling from the
long and tireless strain. The Black
Giant was stripped TO the waist.
Huge drops Of sweat stood
out on his knotted temples. His bloodshot
eyes cleaned 'furiously at the board on
which he now steadily and surely lost.
Tucker, small and wizened, lay prone ON
the earth, too weak to situp Anon he would
pull his long gray moustache, drink deep
draughts of oklahoma, smiling meanwhile
at the disgust of his gigantic antagonist as
successive pots fell under the flap of his
bearskin saddle-bagS Zeigler, enormous
in stature and ferocious in despair, could
have reached across the log and killed
his small competitor with one blow of his
mammoth fist, yet he played on and on.
Knowing the tide had set against him, and
that he could not save himself from heavy
loss he awaited an opportunity TO stake all
that was left, and win or lose by headlopg
desperation. Toward noon about the
eighteenth hour of the game, a very few
wrinkles disappeared from the giants face
as he glanced over his hand, and a ray of
hope cleaned in his yellow, bloodshot ewes
as he watched fuckers next play. The
wrinkles returned with increased malignity
when Tucker refused cards and stood pat.
Big Jim drew two cards Betting began.
After every chip had been laid on the log
the excitement of the half-breed spectators
found vent in uncomfortable cries of wonder
mixed with terror. Many of them instinct
lively moved toward the door as though
fearing that lost hand on the giants part
would result in general demolition of
everything inside the hut. Under the mask
of suppressed excitement worn by the two
players there ragged tremendous struggle
between passions of scorn, determination
and deadly hatred. Huge knots stood out
upon the darkey's head; perspiration
streamed from every pore of his
barred neck; his breath came hur-
riedly and desperately and his
hands trembled like leaves. The white man
jerked his moustache with increased vigor,
and nerved himself into a half-crouching
posture, as though ready to spring at his
black competitors throat. The giant
wagered his clothes, his pistols, his Win
chester, his horse, and finally his house and
outlying claim, yet the gray-beard again
smiled and raised him.. Without a mo-
ment's pause, Zeigler hissei the startling
proposition that his life should back his
hand, and that if he lost he would serve his
vanquisher faithfully in any capacity ne
should name At the announcement of this